Israel Official State Medal "Operation Jonathan" 1976 Bronze 59mm UNC

Description

View more great items
Israel Official State Medal "S.S. Shalom Ship" 1964 Bronze 59mm UNC
Official State Medal 5724-1964
Description:
On 27th June 1976, terrorists who had boarded the plane in Athens, took over an Air France Flight 139, en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, and forced the pilot to land at an old hanger in Entebbe, Uganda, then ruled by dictator Idi Amin. There the plane was met by Ugandan soldiers, as well as terrorists of 'The Front for the Liberation of Palestine", armed to the teeth and carrying quantities of explosives. The 246 passengers were locked into a dusty building. The terrorists demanded that 53 terrorists, tried and sentenced, should be delivered to them in exchange for the imprisoned passengers. They set a deadline at the end of which the hostages were to pay with their lives if their demands were not met. The Government of Israel resolved not to succumb to terror, but to liberate the hostages by a daring military operation. On 3rd July, after all diplomatic efforts failed and the deadline of the ultimatum was near, a task force departed by plane to a destination 4,000 km (2,500 mi) away from Israel. In a lightning strike, the terrorists were killed amid a hail of fire exchanged with the Ugandan forces. The 104 remaining hostages (three of whom were killed during the operation) were whisked away to the waiting Israeli planes. One hospitalized hostage was murdered by the Ugandans. In the exchange of fire, Colonel Jonathan ("Yoni") Netanyahu, commander of the task force, was killed. The Entebbe rescue operation was later named after him - "Operation Jonathan".
Obverse:
On the medal's obverse appears the IDF emblem with the olive branch entwined around the silhouette of an air force plane, as well as the legend "Operation Jonathan 6 Tamuz 5736" in Hebrew. The English translation bears the date "4th July, 1976".
Reverse:
The verse "He sent from above and took me" (Psalm 18:17) appears on the reverse in Hebrew and English.
Edge
:
State emblem, STATE OF ISRAEL (H+E)
Metal
:
Bronze - Tombac
Diameter
:
59mm
Weight
:
90gm
Mintage:
42,057 medals.
The Shipping worldwide cost 5.5$.
See my other items, I will combine shipping!